Rachael,
Guessing you’ll get plenty of advice, ranging from keep fighting to head for the hills. Sounds to me (and most of us, I imagine) that the board is beyond being reasoned with. Perhaps. Or perhaps they might listen to a ‘peer,’ someone from the board of another museum that once did things the way they do. Perhaps. If you can’t make that happen, can you enlist a donor (of objects) who might remind the board whose treasures they’re putting at risk?
By the way, what benefits does the board see in including artifacts in the parade? The ‘why?” question is always revealing; the answer often opens up a range of options previously unexplored.
Good luck. Hope they’re paying you well for your troubles.
Dean
Dean Krimmel, Creative Museum Services/Qm2
Helping Museums and Cultural Nonprofits
423 Range Road Baltimore, MD 21204
410-746-8350; [log in to unmask]
LinkedIn <http://www.linkedin.com/in/deankrimmel> ; @deankrimmel; www.qm2.org <http://www.qm2.org/>
My colleagues in the Qm2 community of consultants are
--Mary Case, Qm2
--John & Anita Durel, Durel Consulting Partners
--Dale Jones, Making History Connections
Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't.
Bill Nye (yes, the Science Guy)
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Rachael Ward
Sent: Friday, July 08, 2016 13:19
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [MUSEUM-L] Board Members and Artifacts
Hello All!
I am currently the director of a small historical society and museum where I am the first museum professional to be employed for their site. In a nut shell, there are no archival records of any sort, no collections room, collections policy, no provenance for a majority of the artifacts - essentially I’m starting from the ground up. Which, as trying as it is at times, isn’t why I’m writing to you all.
The board of directors and I view the treatment of artifacts in drastically different manner. In the most recent scenario (and trust me when I say there are MANY scenarios), they came to me asking if they could use some of the artifacts (props as they termed them), on a float for local township parades. I explained that the artifacts could be harmed or stolen by exposing them to all the manner of variables a parade brings (rain, falling off a wagon and breaking, someone snatching the artifact when they weren’t looking), but they did not see the harm in this and continued to press the subject. I then tried to bring up other institutions and professional standards in the field of museums and let them know that it, quite frankly, is not acceptable, again not changing their minds. They ultimately have the final say and so I have expressed to them that I would respect their decisions regarding artifact usage outside the confines of museum, as is their right as the board.
My question for you all is this: How do I convey to them that what they are choosing to do is harmful to the artifacts other than what I have already done? They claim to want to increase their professional standing in the museum community, but are unwilling to listen to my professional advice. I have had my fair share of ‘interesting’ situations regarding, shall we say, eccentric boards in my career, but this takes the cake. I’m at a loss on how to help them understand the ways of our field. Any advice on how you may have handled a similar situation would be greatly appreciated. I want to see this institution succeed, but right now that is looking rather bleak.
--
Rachael Ward
"History is no longer a spotlight. We are turning up the stagelights to show the entire cast.”
-David McCullough
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